This relates to the field of electrical connectors and more particularly to connectors for interconnection of flexible film circuits.
An electrical connector is known wherein a receptacle connector is mounted onto a circuit board at an edge thereof, and a leading edge of a flexible film circuit strip is insertable into the receptacle connector for contacts of the connector pressed against respective circuits of the strip to establish electrical connections therewith. A simple planar board of insulative material such as of xe2x80x9cG10xe2x80x9d material and as wide as the strip, is conventionally adhered to an insulated surface of the strip opposed to the exposed circuits to provide strength and rigidity to facilitate insertion and interconnection, and the flexible film circuit strip is held in the mated condition by the friction of the contacts against the film""s circuits. One such receptacle connector is sold by AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. under Part No. 353088-1.
It is desired to provide for protection against mating of the flexible film circuit strip with a receptacle connector in an inverted orientation. It is also desired to provide for assured resistance against inadvertent unmating, and also for control over the forward movement of the strip backer board assembly upon full mating.
The present invention is a backer plate that is adhered to an insulated surface of the flexible film circuit strip. The backer plate provides a pair of low height side walls that therebetween define a nest for placement of the leading edge portion of the flexible film circuit strip precisely located with respect to a leading edge of the plate.
In one embodiment, the backer plate is molded of insulative plastic material and preferably includes features molded thereon for indication of full mating, for polarization and for maintaining the strip/backer plate assembly in a fully mated condition after insertion into the receptacle connector. The side walls may each define an upstanding boss spaced rearwardly from the plate leading edge, the bosses abutting forwardly facing surfaces of the receptacle connector positioned at both sides of the receiving cavity thereof below the median of the entrance, upon full mating. The leading edge of the backer plate will abut a forward wall of the receptacle housing prior to strip insertion, were the strip backer plate assembly to be inverted, thus defining a polarization feature. The backer plate also preferably includes either detents or embossments that cooperate with embossments or detents of the receptacle connector (or the circuit board to which it is mounted) upon full mating to latch the strip backer plate assembly in the mated condition.
In another embodiment, the backer plate is formed of metal to include the upstanding side walls to define the film-receiving nest, and may have outwardly extending flanges to cooperate with guide slots on the receptacle connector. Embossments formed along the film-remote surface of the body section cooperate with detents on the circuit board forwardly of the receptacle connector, to secure the strip/backer plate assembly in mated condition. The conductive backer plate may serve as a ground connection with a ground circuit of the circuit board through the embossments, where the board detents are connected to a ground circuit, and where the backer plate includes a ground post soldered to a ground circuit of the flexible film strip.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.